This invention relates to the pullback of pad nitrides during the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
In the current process of manufacturing semiconductor devices the comer rounding of single trench isolation (STI) comers is achieved by a pad nitride pullback, followed by a liner oxidation. The amount of pad nitride pullback is a trade off between comer protection (requires large pullback) and comer shape (smaller pullback, optimized together with liner oxidation). What is needed is a method that substantially optimizes both comer protection and comer shape.
Disclosed is a method of filling an isolation trench etched through a silicon nitride layer down into a silicon substrate, comprising performing a first pullback of said nitride layer away from said trench so as to expose trench comers of said trench so as to optimize comer rounding as desired, provided a silicon oxide trench liner for said trench, performing a second pullback of said silicon nitride layer away from said trench so as to expose a sufficient amount of underlying layer adjacent to said trench comers to effectively protect said trench comers with a subsequent protective fill, providing said protective fill of sufficient thickness to fill said trench and cover said substrate adjacent to said trench comers.
In another aspect of the invention, said underlying layer comprises a silicon oxide layer binding said silicon nitride layer to said substrate, said silicon oxide layer is etched back along with said silicon nitride layer during said first pullback, and said silicon oxide layer is not substantially etched during said second pullback.
In another aspect of the invention, said first pullback is a hydrofluoric acid wet etch.
In another aspect of the invention, said second pullback is a phosphoric acid wet etch.
In another aspect of the invention, said second pullback etches back said nitride layer about 100 angstroms from said trench comers.
In another aspect of the invention, said protective fill is a high density plasma silicon oxide fill.
In another aspect of the invention, said protective fill is a TEOS fill.
In another aspect of the invention, said trench liner is provided by thermal oxidation of the walls of said trench.
In another aspect of the invention, said thermal oxidation is executed in a manner to optimize comer rounding.
Disclosed is a method of filling an isolation trench etched through silicon nitride and oxide layers down into a silicon substrate, said oxide layer binding said nitride layer to said substrate, comprising performing a first pullback of said nitride and oxide layers away from said trench so as to expose trench comers of said trench so as to optimize corner rounding as desired, providing a silicon oxide trench liner for said trench, performing a second pullback of said silicon nitride layer, but not of said silicon oxide layer, away from said trench so as to expose a sufficient amount of underlying silicon oxide layer adjacent to said trench comers to effectively protect said trench comers with a subsequent protective fill, providing said protective fill of sufficient thickness to fill said trench and cover said substrate adjacent to said trench comers.
In another aspect of the invention, said first pullback is a hydrofluoric acid wet etch.
In another aspect of the invention, said second pullback is a phosphoric acid wet etch.
In another aspect of the invention, said second pullback etches back said nitride layer about 100 angstroms from said trench comers.
In another aspect of the invention, said protective fill is a high density plasma silicon oxide fill.
In another aspect of the invention, said protective fill is a TEOS fill.
In another aspect of the invention, said trench liner is provided by thermal oxidation of the walls of said trench.
In another aspect of the invention, said thermal oxidation is executed in a manner to optimize comer rounding.
Disclosed is a method of filling an isolation trench etched through silicon nitride and oxide layers down into a silicon substrate, said oxide layer binding said nitride layer to said substrate, comprising performing a first pullback of said nitride and oxide layers away from said trench so as to expose trench comers of said trench so as to optimize corner rounding as desired, providing a silicon oxide trench liner for said trench by thermal oxidation of the walls of said trench, performing a second pullback of said silicon nitride layer, but not of said silicon oxide layer, away from said trench so as to expose a sufficient amount of underlying silicon oxide layer adjacent to said trench comers to effectively protect said trench comers with a subsequent protective fill, providing said protective fill of sufficient thickness to fill said trench and cover said substrate adjacent to said trench comers, said protective fill of a material selected from high density plasma silicon oxide or TEOS, planarizing said protective fill down to the level of said silicon nitride layer, and removing said silicon nitride and silicon oxide layers not covered by said protective fill.